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CasaManzana
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Tourism is up they say....What do you see?-
Mexico enjoys record arrivals despite decline in U.S. visits
By Gay Nagle Myers
Mexico’s international tourism numbers broke records in 2011 with nearly 22.7 million visitors. That represented a 2% jump over 2010 and a 0.2%
increase over the previous high-water mark: 22.6 million visitors in 2008.
While the number of U.S. visitors fell by 3% last year, there were significant increases in visitors from Russia, China, Australia, the U.K., Brazil,
France, Japan and Canada, said the Mexico Tourism Board.
“These figures clearly demonstrate that the bold diversification strategy we have implemented, promoting a broad tourism offering and targeting an
expanded breed of global consumer, is succeeding,” said Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, COO of the Mexico Tourism Board.
Tourism officials also are confident that U.S. numbers will be strong in 2012, given the increases charted in the last quarter of 2011, which helped
push the overall U.S. source market share from 14.1% to 15%.
The late surge kept Mexico in the top slot as the most popular international destination for U.S. visitors.
Bookings from the U.S. during the current winter season are also up over the same period a year ago, echoed by high occupancies reported by properties
in the resort areas, officials said.
Secretary of Tourism Gloria Guevara referenced the economic recession in the U.S. as well as the collapse of Mexicana Airlines in August 2010 as
“factors that influenced the behavior of 2011.”
The Mexico government had declared 2011 the Year of Tourism in an effort to bolster inbound and domestic travel and to counter the effects of
headlines about drug-related violence that has plagued nontourist parts of the country since 2006.
A key focus for tourism officials this year is to capitalize on and celebrate the start of the new Mayan calendar in December, with specific
promotions targeting the five states that comprise the Mayan World: Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and Yucatan.
That focus, combined with aggressive marketing campaigns and strong value-added promotions, are expected to drive numbers even higher.
“Building off an exceptionally strong 2011, we are confident that with programs such as Mundo Maya and the diversification strategy to promote Mexico
as more than just a sun-and-beach destination, growth from and strength in the U.S. market will continue,” Guevara said.
That optimism was undiminished by a new travel warning for Mexico issued by the U.S. State Department on Feb. 8, replacing the April 2011 advisory.
The wording this time was far more specific and the warnings more targeted than in the past. More importantly, Mexico’s top resort areas are
considered safe for travel.
Following efforts to attract a more diverse range of visitors from targeted international markets, Mexico’s visitor increases break down as follows:
Brazil was up 66%; Russia, 55%; China, 30%; Colombia, 23.2%; Italy, 13%; Australia, 13%; the U.K., 11.6%; France, 10%; Japan, 3%; and Canada, 7%.
Foreign tourists last year also spent 7% more money while visiting Mexico than a year earlier, averaging $158 per person, per day.
Things are expensive, but at least we get a free trip around the sun once a year
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Hook
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Over here, I believe the numbers were down. And those that made their annual trek south from the northern cold climes, stayed for a shorter duration.
Completely unscientific, admittedly. Just personal observation.
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SFandH
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I don't think the article pertains to baja which, except for Los Cabos, is mostly visited by RVers, driving an assortment of vehicles. My recent
experience is that that type of tourism is still down, for a variety of reasons.
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greengoes
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Not in Ensenada, saw less tourists this year than last. Maybe on the mainland it is up but not here.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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those increases are likely in areas with international airports and destination resorts....probably not in Baja Sur anyway. In GN, whale operators
report a large increase in national tourism...nearly at par with gringo visitors for whale watching which is a big shift in market...meaning the
mexican promotions are paying off.
2011 was very very slow here but 2012 is picking up a bit over last year...less campers. Baja enthusiasts are still making the trek as they know that
the peninsula is pretty safe in the areas they frequent but newbies are rare these days. I think people are afraid to drive but more likely to fly to
an all inclusive resort....also completely unscientific and just my observation.
Virtually ALL our guests make the same comments about their friends and relatives saying they are crazy for coming to Baja and when I was in Canada
everyone I told that I lived in Mexico said the same thing..."They're killing Canadians there arent they?" sheesh. It's gonna take awhile and some
political changes to turn things around to gain the confidence of the populace....meanwhile, we have more time to go to the beach!!! 
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by greengoes
Not in Ensenada, saw less tourists this year than last. Maybe on the mainland it is up but not here. |
"Tourism is up" is a relative statement. Up from what?
Did'ja ever ask a Mexican businessman, "How's business?" He'll get a thousand yard stare in his eyes, shrugg his shoulders in that patented Mexican
way, and say, "Ehh...so so," even when his new Lexus pickup is parked in front of the store.
Very secretive, this bunch.
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Alan
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I drove down about a month ago and was very surprised to see that once you were away from the towns about 50% of the vehicles on the hwy had US or
Canadian plates.
On a side note I came around a corner just above Catavina to find a semi half in my lane. No choice but to swerve to prevent a head-on but this
dropped my boat trailer off the pavement with a 12-18" dropoff that broke the axles on the trailer. I got the trailer back up on the pavement but now
it was fishtailing wildly behind me. I managed to keep my truck upright and on the pavement but at some time through all this the tiedowns on the
boat ripped loose and my boat ended up on its top out in the desert and scattered all of my belongings. Still too painful to talk about other than to
say that the family in the car behind me were from Catavina and witnessed the whole accident. They stopped to help. We got my trailer out of the
roadway and unhitched and their wife went with me to Catavina to call for the police so I could make my report. Phone service was down but she
contacted family members that had radios to call. We returned to the accident scene where my wife had stayed behind to watch our stuff.
My wife told me that the men from Catavina were awesome and prevented anyone from scavenging any of our belongings. She said that every single car
with Mexicans stopped to see if we needed help yet not one single foreigner so much as even slowed down. Definitely a sign of the hysteria generated
about Mexico and so sad to see.
The family from Catavina stayed with us for over 4 hours during which time the men broke out tools and helped me retrieve everything from radios,
electronics and rod holders from the boat including everything that was stowed aboard and loaded it into the back of my truck.
In Memory of E-57
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DianaT
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Just an observation.
During our two trips to San Ignacio this year, there appeared to be more tourists there to see the whales---not as many as we have seen in the past,
but more than the last couple of years.
The promotion of whale watching in Europe seems to be drawing at least some tourists. Besides the ones traveling in twos or fours in rented cars,
there was one small Mexican tourist bus with a group of Germans. And it does not seem that easy to get to Baja from Europe.
Both the Germans and the Italians we joined with to whale watch told us about very long air flights with multiple stops! They all seemed to have the
same agenda which was to visit all three of the lagoons. So that promotion is working with at least a few in Europe.
It is a long ways to come to see a whale, but as this woman from France told us a couple of years ago, it was very much worth it!
It was love at first sight!
On the other hand, we did not see many RVers. This year we have only seen two caravans.
[Edited on 2-24-2012 by DianaT]
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DENNIS
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Anybody who feels that Baja/Mexico haven't lost the tourism lustre, just isn't paying attention to the world. Why is it that we constantly see these
revelations as though they're new and recent discoveries?
The world has changed....tourism in Mexico has changed.......it will never go back to what they knew. Mexico has to make the adjustment Tourism
already has.
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Woooosh
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I'd say Mexican tourists to Baja Norte are up. I'd also go out on limb and say Mexican migration to Baja Norte from the Mainland is up. It is
perceived as being more safe than Monterrey and Sonora for example. jm non-scientific observation
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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DENNIS
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Speaking of tourism in an unlikely place.....look at what Cuba has done. Usually we think of Cuba as old commies and older Chevrolets, but it seems a
lot of folks around the world are drawn to the place.
Our state department doesn't want you to see this, but:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-g147270-Cuba-Hotels.html
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Hook
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
Speaking of tourism in an unlikely place.....look at what Cuba has done. Usually we think of Cuba as old commies and older Chevrolets, but it seems a
lot of folks around the world are drawn to the place.
Our state department doesn't want you to see this, but:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-g147270-Cuba-Hotels.html |
I expect those restrictions to be lifted during Obama's second term.
Yes, I said second term. Larry, Moe and Curley Joe would have a better chance against him; though I admit to the Stooge similarities in the 'Pubs
candidates.
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DENNIS
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Yeah....it was the Repub's race to lose and they've done a fine job of that.
Jeeezo....out of three hundred million people, this is the best they could do. These guys make Sarah Palin look good. [well..she always did look
pretty good to my fantasies]
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BajaBlanca
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Alan .......... holy smokes, lucky that God was not calling on you that day. Must have been beyond scary and how special that so many Mexicans stopped
to check up on you guys ....Did the semi stop ?
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BajaBlanca
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adn returning to the thread .... we saw so many tourists on the mainland when we were just there...we stopped by a 5 * resort in Cancun and I was just
astounded - I kid you not - at the number of people in the pools and on the beach and in the bar and in the 4 different restaurants and just milling
around. I commented to Les at the time " There is absolutely no sign of an economic crisis here at all."
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Alan
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
Alan .......... holy smokes, lucky that God was not calling on you that day. Must have been beyond scary and how special that so many Mexicans stopped
to check up on you guys ....Did the semi stop ? |
He was calling my name loud and clear for a while there
but thankfully he changed His mind at the last moment and let me get my trailer and truck under control.  No the semi didn't stop but I doubt if he even knew what he had caused because he immediately went into the turn I
had just come out of and we luckily didn't make contact. The road is so narrow in so many areas that every passing situation between trucks or
vehicles with trailers is always a "close call" so if you don't make contact you have to assume all is good. It is curves like this where you can't
see ahead that's the prime concern I have with the increase in bicyclists on the road in recent years. Everybody tries to respect them on the road
and waits patiently for an opportunity to pass. I have never once seen anyone even crowd them but there are just so many place where a car and a
truck and a bike will all be clamoring for the same spot of real estate.
It was funny that at the start of the trip I had commented to my wife how great the road was because they have been putting in a ton of work adding
shoulders to the road. It was just my bad luck that it simply wasn't there when I needed it.
It has ALWAYS been the norm that everyone stops to render aid along this highway. In years past it could even be intrusive if you were just making a
pit stop It is only in recent years that I have seen foreigners too scared to
stop.
In Memory of E-57
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CasaManzana
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A reply about that article from the mainland- FYI
We have a place in Zihuatanejo as well, just about Alcapulaco. A guy there who is VERY politically connected to the mayors office, and a real mover
and shaker, posted this response to that article today-
"It's one thing to bolster tourism but another to try to bolster one's curriculum vitae with rosy statistics.
The hotel industry as well as most turisteros in Guerrero concur with my opinion of Gloria Guevara Manzo. We also hold the same opinion for the head
of SEFOTUR in Guerrero, Graciela Báez Ricárdez. Both of them are political appointments with no real experience in the field and no knowledge of our
tourism industry. They provide rosy numbers to justify their inflated salaries and to appear to be making progress when there is none so as to appear
competent for other political appointments. When examined, their figures do not hold up to scrutiny. We go through this exercise regularly here in
Zihuatanejo same as the folks in Acapulco do, always with the same results."
Things are expensive, but at least we get a free trip around the sun once a year
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Woooosh
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| Quote: | Originally posted by CasaManzana
We have a place in Zihuatanejo as well, just about Alcapulaco. A guy there who is VERY politically connected to the mayors office, and a real mover
and shaker, posted this response to that article today-
"It's one thing to bolster tourism but another to try to bolster one's curriculum vitae with rosy statistics.
The hotel industry as well as most turisteros in Guerrero concur with my opinion of Gloria Guevara Manzo. We also hold the same opinion for the head
of SEFOTUR in Guerrero, Graciela Báez Ricárdez. Both of them are political appointments with no real experience in the field and no knowledge of our
tourism industry. They provide rosy numbers to justify their inflated salaries and to appear to be making progress when there is none so as to appear
competent for other political appointments. When examined, their figures do not hold up to scrutiny. We go through this exercise regularly here in
Zihuatanejo same as the folks in Acapulco do, always with the same results." |
Masked armed men stopped a tour bus in Puerto Vallarta and robbed the 22 Americans. That won't help things much...
http://diarioaxaca.com/policiaca/30-nacional/24646-despojan-...
22 Carnival Cruise Line Passengers on Shore Excursion Lose Their Belongings in Puerto Vallarta
"Mexico. - Approximately 22 American tourists were attacked by an armed group in Puerto Vallarta, police officials said. The incident occurred when
the tourists were on a tour to see the attractions of the town "The Nogalito" towards the Mismaloya area aboard a special truck, when masked men
forced the driver to stop the vehicle. Subsequently, according to a report, the subjects got into the truck and took the money and valuables of the 22
foreigners, managing to flee. In response, police officers and other municipal corporations cordoned off the area to no avail. Given these facts, the
municipal authorities offered support to the victims, while business went on the alert, since this situation came just a few weeks of Tourism Tianguis
in place."
[Edited on 2-25-2012 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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dtutko1
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I've seen 2 RV caravans w/6 rigs this winter. Restaurants and hotels are mostly empty here. Plenty of cruise ships in and out of Cabo though. I can't
even friend someone to fish w/Mateo with. Things are slow indeed and i like it. But I feel bad for the local businesses.
Dorado Don
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
adn returning to the thread .... we saw so many tourists on the mainland when we were just there...we stopped by a 5 * resort in Cancun and I was just
astounded - I kid you not - at the number of people in the pools and on the beach and in the bar and in the 4 different restaurants and just milling
around. I commented to Les at the time " There is absolutely no sign of an economic crisis here at all." |
It seems that Cancun has always been a rather inexpensive place with great package deals for Europeans. We have met several over the years who
actually booked the deals and then left their luggage in their Cancun room while they wandered around the Yucatan, Belize, Guatemala, etc.,
Blanca, how has your business been this year in comparison to other years?
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